Safety snap switch



Nov. 25, 1930 F. F. HAFE MEISTER 1,782,780

' SAFETY SNAP SWITCH Filed Nov. 19, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Q zgmv mg A TTORNE Y6 Nov. 25, 1930. F. F. HAFEMEISTER 1,

SAFETY SNAP SWITCH Filed '19. 1924 z Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

mththesw tch meohztnlsrnboth spr ng and Patented Nov. 25, 1930 i PATENT I FRED r. HAFEMEISTER, or 'oLEv LA mo Io, Assrenonro THE CLEVELAND swrron fBOARD-GOMPANXOF CLEVELAND; omo, A oonronAmonoromo SAFETY SNAP swimsu 3 Ap ilieeti o n fileanov iber 1e, 1924.- {Serial mews, V i

Thisfihvention, as has'heen indioated, re

letes to a safety'snap switch. "Mfore particnlarly it comprises a jswiteh which normally has snap aotiorrbrought abont'by means "or a spring but which, in the event of the failure of said spring, may still be operatedto satisfaetorily open or close the circuit The principal object of the nvention' to improve the construction of s ep switches. Another. obj eet ofthe invention is to inolude auxiliary Contact moving means so tha't'in the event, of the failure of the spring said auxilf ery means will seryetorsg tisfaotorilyoperate said switch. further object ofthepinvenhon i t pmvi e sw tc ful y; pw i t d ega'inst, aroing n when used with high tension currents and at the same time one Which is COnstrLictedofrelatively few parts and which may e h aplym uf c rede dre ly ess'embled -flanddisasse bled.- Othenobjegts o the invo ution will appear infthe eonrseof the following description. "To 'the aofeornplish- :ment Jo f the foreg ngen el tedie s, sai

: lnvention,then,'oonsists of the meansqhere- 'ina ftfer [fully gdescribed end partioul'e'rly pointed out injthe claims.

Y The en flexed drawings and: the following description set forthindetail certain mechanisniQ embodying {the invention, such disdos d "means; constituting, however, but one ofyer-ions"iheehzrnioal fforms in which the prinoip'le of the inyention neybensed.

In said'ennex ;dra ng "Fig; lis a side ele at'io iota snap switoh e dii ng'f t s eat r I sth nv s- TShqwing {the oontactineinber injoircuit closing pjo'sitionjjFigQQTis a View similer to 'Fig; .1' bntshowing-the contact nier her open posi e0 tion "an end elevation otthe device shown inFfgQIes Viewed fromthe 'righthand side o'fj said j figure 4; is e erticfl seetiona'l iew 'taiken a long the line shown EigaI3,-,1 o .i g ii th ime i 0f i hw L Q and Fig 5 is p r pe r V e h U r shaped togglejmeniber pivotally sup- Pfi chemowb e witch enjtec m mb T Q'As {is lclearly ishownin Figs. 1' to Lofthe wi'ng ylth witc ompr ses a base P j blooiii o fiinsuletingineterial fsnoh as slate,

bakelite or similar "coinposition At a jpoint centrally of saidbase; asjtirn'darclfl ismounted, said standard heingprefereblyformed of 'm i h n t uehape n win we 5 'W'hiohopenings sire formedfor siiitible fa of eai's 3 projecting at either side through tening means. shown in 'FigQA of the drawings said fastening means comprise small bolts haiing slotted heads with? their shanks eitending through registering openings through the base and being held firmly thereto bymeans of nuts 5 seatedin Counter ,sunkreeesses forniedin the. side of said siil ating"ineterizrlw; snoh'esforniioe 'is proweed 1 1 he d fir fly a e 1m: d side j.po1itions of said standard: by ineens of screws-8, the threaded shanksof whieh are v received in suitable zipertiires inlthefrespeotive side walls of said-standard. "Cen traIly of each sideiwall 0f v said standard a cirouiar aperture 9- provided, said aperture "being" connectedhy means of a narr ow slot 11 with one side edge of each well for epurposehere- 'inafter tohe *disolosed. The lower h zilfof eztolrside'Well"ofsaridstenderdfis preferably i of somewhat greater Width than: the upper half thereof and Centrally of said Wider lower portion ;-e;rch side edge is provided with notches '12- centrally of which' are positio-hed inwardly tu'rned ears 13;,pre'fereb1ystri ek h frolnthebody- Of the Side Well? Sai d eers 13 shaped toggle member jhereinti'fter to he he scribed;*Atejpointin vertical alignment are intended toeot ts liniitingstopsfor the U h v vith theeirohlar openings 9 thiiough ithe side wells and adj aoent the, upper; portion =fth e'r sne li lasLbztkelite orjsirriiler cornposition, ha?- in the body portion thereof a strap 16 preferably formed of sheet metal. Said strap has its lower ends bent parallel to each other and each of the side edges thereof is provided at an intermediate position with outwardly turned integral ears 17. The free lower ends of. said strap are provided with apertures within which lateral extensions 18 at either side of collar 19 are received.

The lower portion of the toggle switchoperating mechanism is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Said member is prefer ably formed of a sheet metal stamping having a body portion 21 ofU-shape. Spaced from the upper ends of said U-shaped portion a pair of extension members 22 of T-shape are formed, said arms each carrying integral pins 23 projecting outwardly to serve as securing means for the movable switch contact members. At the point where said T-shaped extensions merge with the U-shaped body portion the extensions and body lie in the same plane. The upper free ends 24 of the U- shaped body member are bent at an angle to the adjacent sections and the lower portion of the U-shaped body member immediately beneath the section connected with the extensionarms is also bent at an angle thereto in the opposite direction and of a somewhat lesser degree of angularity. The lower portion of the U-shaped body portion is provided with a notch 25 upon its upper edge and immediately beneath said notch an opening 26 is formed through the same.

The lateral extensions of the U-shaped body portion of the toggle mechanism are adapted to have their shanks engaged within the circular openings 9 in the side walls of the standard heretofore described. The parts are thus assembled by moving the shank portions of the extensions of the U-shaped member through the horizontal slots 11 connected with the circular apertures 9 in said side walls. I

hen thus assembled the U-shaped lower portion of the toggle will co-act with the'upper portion thereof, the free ends 24 of said U-shaped portion being received between the respective lateral ears 17 of said upper memher. The parallel side members of the upper member will be freely movable through the central opening of the U-shaped member, the laterally extending ears serving to space said upper member centrally of the standard.

The snap action of the toggle is effected by means of a coiled compression spring 31 which is adapted to be supported upon a guide rod 32. The guide rod is provided with a slotted enlargement 33 at its lower end adapted to engage within the notch 25 at the lower portion of the U-shaped toggle mem ber. The upper end of the guide rod is of a size to slidingly engage within the aperture of the collar 19 ivotally supported in theupper toggle member. The spring and its guide bar may be readily placed in position by fitting the spring over the guide bar with its lower end resting against the enlargement of the guide bar. The upper end of the guide bar is then inserted through the aperture of the collar and the spring forced under a suflicient degree of compression until the guide bar projects slightly above said collar. By means of a pair of pliers the projecting end of the guide bar may be grasped and manipulated until the slotted lower end is brought into alignment with the notch at the lower portion of the U-shaped toggle member when the release of the spring will hold the parts in permanent operative relation. The aperture 26 provided in the U-shaped toggle member immediately beneath the notch 25 provides clearance forthe ends of the enlargement of the guide bar at either side of the slot, when the guide bar is moved to its extremeposition in either direction.

The switch mechanism illustrated is adapted to open and close two distinct electric circuits although the mechanism is a )plicable to constructions involving but a sing e circuit or a single pair of contact members. In the form illustrated the block is shown as provided with four fixed contact members comprising a strip of conducting material, such as copper, having an upstanding portion 42 of-slightly lesser width than the base portion 43 thereof and turned through an angle of 90 degrees after being thus bent upwardly so as to have the ends of said strips lie parallel to the sides of the standard and closely adjacent thereto. The base of each contact strip is held L by suitable securing means to the block, the means illustrated comprising bolts 44 having slotted heads and passing through suitable apertures in said base similar to the bolts by means of which the standard is secured to said base, and having countersunk recesses to receive the securing nuts in like manner, as illustrated in Fig. l, in connection with said securing bolts for the standard. The extensions 1 1 formed at either side of the U-shaped toggle member are provided with integral pins 23, as heretoforedescribed. These pins serve to support the movable contact members of the switch. These contact members preferably 1;

comprise a pair of V-shaped strips 51, 52, formed ofcopper alloy or other suitable conducting material, provided with a pair of apertures in vertical alignment with each other and spaced an adequate distance to 1:1

fit over the pins23. Before securing said contacting arms to the lateral extensions of the U-shaped toggle member a metal plate is positioned over said pins and a sheet of insulating material 54 of somewhat larger area than that of said metal plate is then seated upon said pins and against said plate. The movable contact arms are then seated over said pins, being spaced therefrom by means of insulating collars 55, which prevent elecwardly. I

trical contact of said movable contact'arms with the metal of the toggle mechanism and the supporting standard. Said collars are of sufiicient depth to fully cover the fastening means, such as washers 56 seated over said securing pins 23, the ends of which may be peined over or soldered. The movable contact members are thus securely held in close contact with each other upon said lateral extensions of said U-shaped toggle member.

The ends of said movable "contact arms are preferably provided with enlargements 57,

the lateral edges 58 of vwhich are bent outprovide springggripping members at either end which lie in the respective planes with,

h p i g P rtions of the fixed contact members 41. V 1

WVhen'the toggle mechanism actuated to compress the coiled spring and move one end of the guide rod to the opposite side of the central pivot member, as soon as the same passes dead center-the spring will suddenly expand and throw the'contact arms" in a direction opposite to that in whichithey were positioned at the start of said motion.

lVhen the finger piece 15 ismoved to the position shownin Fig. l ofthe drawings, the movable contact arms willserve to bridge the spacebetween the fixedcontact members at either side of the standard andw ill complete ,theelectrical circuit betweensaid fixed contact members. When moved in the oppo site direction to the position shown in Fig.

i 2, the movable contact arms will beshifted to a position spaced from said fixed contact members and the circuits will be interrupted. Upon the failure of the spring it willbe [unnecessary to replace the same if it becomes necessary to close or open the several circuits controlled by said switch, inasmuch as the" toggle mechanism will still be actuated by means of the lateral-ears upon the upper v toggle member contacting with ,thelupper endsot the U-shaped' lower toggle member.

"The snap actionot the switch mechanism will not be as rapid as when the compression spring is 'in place but byshiiting the finger piece rapidly the arcing of the switch contact members-may be prevented) Also, when the circuit is broken the spring clamping.

action upon the fixed contact members by the parallel movable contact arms produces an accelerated motion as the same are moved to releasing position. When the switch isplaced in vertical position it is preferably turned so that the action of gravity will assist in the disconnecting of the movableswitch contacting arms, thus preventing the accidental shittingof the finger piece to switch closing position.' v i a By means ofthe mechanism above doscribed it "will be obvious that the proper operation of the switch is provided forunder It will be noted that the contact arms thus not result-in the current beingleit-on or'off "all'conditions. llhe failureof thespring will i i l at a-timewvhen the inoperative condition-of the switch would become a positive danger. Inthis manner every requirement oftsafety isprovide-dfor and at the same time arsubstantial switch mechanism? is supplied and one whichinay be readily} assembled and dis-i assembled for purposes of installation or-repaIr. r a 's *Otherinodes of applying the principle-of my invention may be employed instead of vided themeans stated by any of thefollowing claims or the equivalent of such stated means beemployed.

, Ithereforeparticularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention z--.

F1. An electric switch comprising a base,

parallel switch supports extending upwardly from said base, a. U-shaped memberthe upper the one explained, changebeing made as re 7 it gards the mechanismhereln disclosed, proends providing lever arms, and having latjournals formed centrally in the midportions of said parallel supports, a movable. switch,

contact member supported on one of said extensions, stationary contact members adapted to be engaged by said movable member, switch operating lever pivoted in said supporm above said U-shaped member formed of parallel arms each having' outwardly projecteral extensions at intermediate positions on -its side members, detachably engagedwithin ing spaced cars, a collar pivotally supported.

on the free end of said lever, a guide rodextending through said collar and adapted to seat upon the base ofsai'd U-shaped member, and a compression spring surrounding said her and said collar and adaptedto move said guide member: between said U-shaped mem- U-shaped mem'ber and operating lever in op- Q posite directions when the upper end of said spring is moved past dead center by said operating lever and when the upper end of the U-shaped member is also moved by the out- EHO wardly projecting ears on-said'operating lever. a r

2'. An electricswitch comprising a base, parallel switch supports extending upward-V lateral extensions at intermediate positions on its side members, detachably engaged within ournals formed centrally in the mid: portions ofsaid parallelsupports, a movable:

switch j contact member supported on each of said extensions, stationary contactmembers adapted to be engaged byeachofsaid mov able members, a switch operating lever pivoted in said' supports above said U-shaped member formed of parallel arms e achjhaving ly fromfsaidbase, a U shaped member the H upper endsprovrdmg lever arms,'and having a w said U-shaped member, and a compression spring surrounding said guide member between said U-shaped member and said collar and adapte l to move said U-shaped member and operating lever in opposite directions when the upper end of said spring is moved past dead center by said operating lever and When the upper end of the U-shaped member is also moved by the outwardly projecting ears on said operating lever.

Signed by me, this 17th day of Nmn, 1924.

FRED F. HAFEMEISTER. 

